by Shane Henson — January 2, 2013—Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School, the largest private school in Nevada, is now home to the state’s largest school-based solar array. The 1.11-megawatt system, unveiled at the school’s 39-acre Las Vegas campus this fall, features more than 4,000 SunModule solar panels from SolarWorld, a U.S.-based solar manufacturer that operates worldwide.
Designed and installed by SolarWorld-authorized installer Bombard Renewable Energy of Las Vegas, the installation demonstrates growing demand for rooftop and carport solar installations in a state often associated with sprawling, utility-scale desert solar farms, says SolarWorld.
Although Faith Lutheran launched its solar installation in 2011, with a 100-kilowatt array on the roof of a classroom and administrative building, the project blossomed in October when the school installed more than 900-kilowatts of SolarWorld solar panels on its student center and maintenance facility, and atop a 341-space carport structure custom-engineered by Bombard Renewable Energy.
As SolarWorld notes, adding a high-performance solar electric system to one’s business, organization, or school can dramatically reduce a facility’s electric bills. Faith Lutheran administrators expect to offset about half of the school’s annual power needs with clean energy generated by the array and to save about $140,000 a year on utility costs.
“This project helps reduce our energy costs and provide covered parking for our faculty and students, but more importantly, it allows Faith Lutheran to be among the leaders in clean energy in southern Nevada,” said Dr. Steve Buuck, Faith Lutheran’s chief executive officer.
